'Fair & Lovely is now 'Glow & Lovely': Twitter reacts

New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Aiming at a rebranding strategy, Hindustan Unilever Ltd's (HUL's) announced to rename its flagship skincare brand Fair and lovely to ‘Glow and lovely’ on Thursday.

Following the backlash over social media on promoting fairness cream, the fast-moving consumer goods major decided to drop ‘fair’ from its name a week ago.

In a statement released on the company's website, Sunny Jain, President Beauty & Personal Care, said, “We are fully committed to having a global portfolio of skincare brands that is inclusive and cares for all skin tones, celebrating greater diversity of beauty. We recognise that the use of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and ‘light’ suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don’t think is right, and we want to address this." 

"Over the next few months, Glow & Lovely will be on the shelves and future innovations will deliver on this new proposition," he further added in the statement. 

 

It also said that the skin cream for men will now be called 'Glow & Handsome'.

Meanwhile, the change in the name triggered many reactions from social media, where a few users are appreciating the move while others are questioning it in the light of ending racism.

Those lauding the move said:

Big first step @HUL_News changes Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely. Big moment in the world of brands. Let's watch how it changes imagery and communication, as it walks the talk on showing diverse, positive and real images of beauty.
Here's what it can do: https://t.co/eXHCCZfT3w

 

— Anuradha SenGupta (@anuradhasays) July 2, 2020

But a few netizens also expressed their dislike and considered it merely a change in marketing strategy.

So Fair and Lovely will now be called Glow and Lovely? C’mon Hindustan Lever. For years you’ve been profiting by destroying our nation’s young girl’s self worth by making rude comments about dark skin.

Now prove your ‘intentions’ by having a dark skinned girl on your packaging.

— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) July 2, 2020

HUL announced the new name of #FairandLovely, it’s now changed to #GlowandLovely. How does it make any difference u removed fair & added glow. So this won’t end the racism that people face on bases of skin colour @HUL_News. Infact the name should have been like “lovely-you” etc https://t.co/1P09POywz2

— Sarita Pandey (@SaritaPandey8) July 2, 2020

Twitter was also flooded with a variety of trolls mocking and attacking the company's move, pointing out the brand's sincerity to consider selling such products. 

If Hindustan Unilever are really serious, they should stop making their fairness creams. Same for other companies.
Changing a name, while selling the same poison, is merely cosmetic.
But then, that's their business: Cosmetics.

— Dr Soumitra Pathare (@netshrink) June 28, 2020

#FairandLovely#GlowandLovely

"Glow & Lovely"

1st pic : Fair & Lovely
2nd pic : Glow & Lovely pic.twitter.com/iCJryrPCFm

— Veesh Key (@VeeshKey) July 2, 2020

Reactions calling out the brand for endorsing misogyny through the selling of such creams were also seen on the platform.

So Ugly this is and Epitome of #Misogyny took you decades to realise how you destroyed the confidence of Dusky, Gorgeous women in the country by selling trash called #FairandLovely and now you call it #GlowandLovely
Massive #HallOfShame@HindustanLever

— Vani Tripathi Tikoo (@vanityparty) July 2, 2020

However for years, In the Indian market, the brand name ‘Fair & Lovely’ has been recently accused widely to propagate the idea of a fair skin tone considered to be superior over others and has created various advertisements equating the idea of beauty with ‘fairness’.

In the backdrop of the backlash received through the Black Lives Matter movement, other Indian brands too were contemplating the same view.